An engine of a vehicle may be automatically started or stopped to address ongoing energy needs of the vehicle. Control schemes have been used to start and stop the engine to meet such needs. One energy need provided by the engine in hybrid electric vehicles is maintenance of a battery's state of charge. Certain control schemes request the engine to auto-start below a threshold and auto-stop above a threshold. Constant cycling of the engine to meet the battery's state of charge demands may cause unnecessary wear on the engine and starter or reduce fuel economy.